A smart board or Promethean Board in which they are refereed to as well, are used in classrooms to engage students in an interactive learning experience. The board uses software of interfaces with wireless internet to provide digital lessons that allow for interactive strategies and hands on experiences for all modalities of learners.
Tablets
Wang, Shen, Novak and Pan (2009) suggested that mobile devices can be used for instantaneous communications among teachers and students. Research revealed that the use of digital devices in a ubiquitous computing environment was capable of facilitating faculty student interactions and in class participation, which in turn enhanced engagement and active learning (Fitch, 2004; Partee, 1996; Stephens, 2005).
Laptops
Laptops are a crucial part of the educational platform. Educators can project lessons, plan lessons, and provide student exercises in a mobile platform unlike a standard desktop option. Laptops are also wi-fi enabled allowing them to move from location to location and still provide educational support to educators.
Overhead Projectors
Overhead projectors are indeed going the way of the dinosaur. However schools with limited technology capabilities or limited funds still use overhead projectors to display notes or lessons onto the wall or screen. Essentially projectors have become used simply for providing notes for student use; however, they still have their usefulness due to the unreliability at times of modern technologies such as computers, or smart boards.
DVD Players
With the advent of streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, or even a school districts internal video sharing software educators have options now on displaying videos other than finding a DVD to play. Like the overhead projector the DVD playing is gradually seeing it usefulness diminish. The DVD player is still useful because not all school have the same integrated technology. Many schools may still require that educators research and find DVD's to show in relation to a given topic.
MP3 Players
MP3 players allow educators to store data, pod casts, research study's in audio form, pictures, music, or countless other forms of media and display or play audio to a classroom through a video projector or a speaker system. They are handy because they allow the educator to save time by downloading digital files and using them in lessons rather than the educator lecturing or writing notes multiple times per day.
High Definition Televisions
Many schools have removed the antiquated tube televisions and replaced them with flat, slim, high definition televisions in the classroom. DVD players, or other devices that requires video and audio signals to be produced are essentially useless without a broadcast medium such as a television to show them on. Many teachers who do not have a smart board can convert the television to run the Promethean Board app through a laptop. It truly is fascinating.
Distance Learning
Distance learning allows educators to remotely access a second or multiple locations through video access feeds. This is a useful resources for schools to use in place of costly field trips. Having the ability for one educator to reach multiple locations of students through the use of two way cameras is cost efficient and is more than likely the way of education in the future. Many school districts use a variant of this in virtual school applications. This model is gaining interest in higher education communities due to the cost savings aspect.
Wireless Networks/Internet
Wireless internet or WI-FI has become a staple in most classroom settings today. In many instances educators rely heavily on a lap top or computer as a mode of preparing lessons and instructing. Having the ability to move from location to location and continue to teach and still use the internet or internal intranet for resources is crucial to providing stimulating, interactive lessons for the student's.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a new generation of computing that uses remote servers for storing a company’s or individuals digital data, hosting applications and management (Maloney, 2012). Cloud computing simply means as a business, school, or individual one has the ability to store data at an offsite location or set of servers to access at a later time, or different location than originally saved.
References
Fitch, J.L. (2004) “Student Feedback in the College Classroom: A Technology Solution”, Educational Technology Research and Development, Vol 52, pp 171–181. Maloney, M. (2012). What is Cloud Computing and How Can it Save You Money?. Enterprise (New Jersey Chamber Of Commerce), 9.
Partee, M.H. (1996) “Using e-mail, web sites, and newsgroups to enhance traditional instruction”, T.H.E. Journal, Vol 23, No. 11, pp 79–82.
Stephens, B.R. (2005) “Notebooks in Psychology: Conducting Flexible In-class Research and Writing Laboratories”, New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Vol 101, pp 15–26.
Wang, M., Shen, R., Novak, D. and Pan, X. (2009) “The impact of mobile learning on students’ learning behaviours and performance: Report from a large blended classroom”, British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol 40, No. 4, pp 673–695.
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Maloney, M. (2012). What is Cloud Computing and How Can it Save You Money?. Enterprise (New Jersey Chamber Of Commerce), 9.
Partee, M.H. (1996) “Using e-mail, web sites, and newsgroups to enhance traditional instruction”, T.H.E. Journal, Vol 23, No. 11, pp 79–82.
Stephens, B.R. (2005) “Notebooks in Psychology: Conducting Flexible In-class Research and Writing Laboratories”, New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Vol 101, pp 15–26.
Wang, M., Shen, R., Novak, D. and Pan, X. (2009) “The impact of mobile learning on students’ learning behaviours and performance: Report from a large blended classroom”, British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol 40, No. 4, pp 673–695.
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